Amherst man arrested after pointing BB gun at Puffer’s Pond

AMHERST — An Amherst man who alarmed beachgoers at Puffer’s Pond Sunday afternoon by carrying what appeared to be a rifle was arrested by police.

Jiayhue Tong, 24, of 115G East Hadley Road, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. on charges of disorderly conduct and committing a breach of peace while carrying a dangerous weapon, said Police Detective Michael Forcum. Police were first contacted by a person who observed Tong walking on the nearby Robert Frost Trail with the rifle, which police later determined to be a BB gun, Forcum said.

Another person told police Tong had gotten out of a vehicle in Cushman with the weapon and had also fired it into the woods while walking along the trail.

When officers got to the scene, entering the woods both from State Street and Pulpit Hill Road, they located Tong pointing the BB gun toward the pond, Forcum said. No additional shots were fired.